Why 11/11/11 Holds Special Significance — or Doesn’t

As you’re almost surely aware, Friday’s date is November 11, 2011 — or, more commonly put, 11/11/11. And people are observing the once-in-a-century occurrence in a variety of ways.

Those on the outer fringes believe it presents a prophesy for the end of the world, pointing back to the same date in 1911 that saw the Great Blue Norther, a cold snap which hit the US causing blizzards, tornadoes and a record drop in temperature — specifically in Kansas City, where it was 76 degrees in the morning and and 11 degrees that evening.

People who believe the number 11 has mystical powers count Friday as a day of significance, and some couples have even chosen it as a wedding date for that reason.

One such bride, Sarah Bull, said that it “means a lot to be able to get married on such a historical date” and added, “We chose 11.11.11 for our wedding day because it’s a date which nobody, including my rather absent-minded fiancé, will ever forget.”

“Yes, there are lots of 11s, but all the numbers added together equal 8,” he said. “The energy from ’11′ is very family-oriented and it conflicts with the ’8′ energy, which is more financially-oriented.” The result is that emotions will be heightened, and people will tend to be possessive or melodramatic.

“Our feelings will be floating right on the surface, so they could take a turn for the worse at any moment — small misunderstandings can turn into huge catastrophes if we don’t keep this in check,” he said. “Definitely, don’t deal with money any more than necessary.”

And of course November 11 marks Armistice Day — Veteran’s Day in the US — the day the agreement was signed to end World War I in 1918. And while the date itself may not have been specifically chosen, the decision to end the war at exactly 11:00 was certainly deliberate. The armistice was signed around five in the morning Paris time to take effect a few hours later.

That said, Decoz stresses, “There is nothing supernatural about this date. Our brains are just pattern matching machines, so we tend to notice patterns like that. If you happen to glance at the clock and it’s 11:11, you will remember that — these patterns stick in our minds. But I don’t think there is any mystical significance to it.”